Hualien Girls’ Senior High School sells memorial charm for beloved campus dog

For generations of students at National Hualien Girls’ Senior High School, Xiao Guai was part of the daily school routine. The white dog greeted students at the gate, joined them during exercise and stayed nearby as they studied and attended evening classes.

Xiao Guai spent about 19 years at the school after an older student brought the stray dog there from a university campus in Hualien. The dog was about a year old at the time. Xiao Guai died in March at around 20, and the school held a farewell ceremony attended by crying students and returning alumni.

Now Xiao Guai has become a memorial charm for the school’s centenary. Principal Chan Man-fu said teachers and students began preparing the “Century Hualien Girls’” anniversary program this year, with related products available for pre-order from Sept. 20. The merchandise also includes caps and jackets marked “HLGS 100,” clothing featuring the school’s old banyan tree, mugs and small canvas book bags.

The school previously had two campus dogs, Xiao Hua and Xiao Guai. Xiao Hua died four years ago at an estimated age of 17. The centenary program will include a two-day climb of Hehuanshan on Oct. 3 and 4 and a New Year’s Day walk next year. Students and alumni are also working to plant Taiwan lilies and azaleas, the school’s distinctive flowers, by the end of this year so they bloom during the centenary celebrations.